Really f*%*ing Kawaii 🎀
Giving in to the feminine urge to trinketize + whimsical habits + cursing like an Eagle + white lotus S3
This week in Cool Shiny Culture: Three new cool spots in LA
Over the long weekend, we decided to take it offline and hit up 3 new LA cool spots. Obviously we don’t mean clubs–that would be a hot spot–but instead a bookstore, coffee shop, and crafting store.
🍬 DecoDeco is Megan & Kaley approved
Deco Deco is a DIY shop in Los Feliz started and owned by Twitch streamer QT Cinderella. Deco Deco specializes in decoden, a Japanese craft style utilizing colorful glue piped onto accessories like frosting and then embellished with trinkets. Upon arrival, we got to choose our accessory to decorate from a menu of girly options like claw clips, hand mirrors, purses, and more. Megan chose polaroid photo frames, Kaley chose a phone case, Janet (Kaley’s mom) chose a mini hairbrush and Gaila (Megan’s mom) chose a compact mirror. (Yes, we’re the cutest, best daughters ever for taking our moms on a galentine's date!)
To decorate our accessory, we each got to choose colorful glue and a designated number of charms from an overwhelming array of options. From there, our hostess gave us a piping & tchotchke-sticking tutorial and left us to our own devices. Upon completion, she packaged our fresh crafts up to look like adorable baked confections. Finally, in a genius marketing move, at checkout we were offered $5 to post on your instagram (story’s fine) like real influencers.
🫘 Kaley scoped out Chamberlain Coffee
For those not familiar, the YouTuber Emma Chamberlain opened her first brick and mortar location of her eponymous coffee line last week at Westfield Century City, the best west side mall in LA.
Situated perfectly in front of Anthropologie’s living green storefront, the freestanding micro building was BUSTLING when I visited on Monday!
The line, filled with young fans and their cute dogs, was an absolutely insane length - definitely over an hour’s worth of wait time to try her brews and pose with her cute cups. The power of coffee fandom!
🌴 The Last Bookstore is Megan’s new favorite (in the valley)
You’ve probably heard of or at least seen photos from the Instagram-famous original location The Last Bookstore in Downtown LA. Shoutout friend-of-CSC, Karissa Zigarovich, for alerting us to the existence of its Studio City sister. While the iconic sign from the original location remains consistent, the "aesthetic" is more reflective of the surrounding neighborhood, featuring tons of plants and a cozy open concept layout. As avid readers of books as well as Substacks, we’re excited by the cultural growth of bookstores and love to see local independent bookstores giving Barnes & Noble a run for their money.
The Opposite of cynical: Wholesome comment sections Megan’s loving 🫶
Recently, I keep finding myself returning to the comments section of two particular TikTok videos. In one by a creator named Kiara Blanchette, people are swapping wholesome stories about their local eateries looking out for their regulars. I didn’t think I'd be tearing up over chinese delivery stories but here we are.
In the other, a creator by the handle @abigail.bailey0 requests that the “girlies” tell her their “Whimsical Little habits” with almost 50k comments (that’s a lot!)
Some of our faves ✨
🧚 asking the fairies to help find lost items
💗 drawing hearts on their faces with moisturizer
🍊 collecting orange items/trinkets and display them on a dedicated shelf with their orange brothers n sisters
🛣️ saying “road trip!” every time they miss an exit while driving
🐧 pinning antartica on the weather app to check on the penguins everyday
Marketing we want to talk about: Megan on White Lotus’ fan service & possibly strategic(?) disservice
I don’t know about you, but the White Lotus x Away collab is following me like Joe Goldberg– I don’t even watch White Lotus and hate leaving my house! It’s a well-executed collab, given the authentic connection between the travel brand and the series set in a new travel locale each season.
Viewers of the season 3 premiere this week were less focused on luggage and more attuned to the theme song which did an unexpected switch up to the show’s iconic opening tune. At first, I understood the backlash and questioned the controversial switch up. Why would you willingly destroy a meme your brand owns and all the cultural equity that comes with it?!? That said, the surprise drummed up tons of engagement. Maybe all press is good press? 🤔
Must Motherfucking see TT: The Eagles can’t stop swearing
Awards for these heroic newscasters who kept a straight face while apologizing - over and over and over again - for Philly players’ filthy mouths 😝
Everyday Activism: Alix Earle lends platform to pup
Like early *adopters* Paris Hilton, Isabel Klee and our very own Kaley Mullin, influencer Alix Earle recently started fostering! 🥰
While some commenters are suggesting the Miami based influencer adopt the dog and give her a “furever home,” others are pointing out that Alix’s lifestyle may not be suited for long term Dog-Moming and that fostering is actually the best way she can use her considerable reach.
Either way, we love to see her spreading the joy of fostering! 💕
Keep it cute 😚
Megan & Kaley
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